A teenager who gave birth behind her mother's house has been arrested for allegedly strangling her newborn baby.

Sophie Msimango, 19, of Block C, near Malelane in Mpumalanga, was not asked to plead to a charge of murder in the Nkomazi magistrates' court and her case was postponed to Thursday next week.

Constable Mzwandile Nyambi said the incident happened on Wednesday.

The girl's mother heard a baby's cry from behind her house and rushed to investigate.

"She found the baby wrapped in a plastic bag and screamed with shock, attracting her neighbours' attention," said Nyambi.

The police were called, and the teenager was arrested and charged with murder.

l A man who had been dumped by his girlfriend was found hanging from the rafters of an outside bathroom in Mpumalanga last Thursday.

Witness Mathebula, 26, from Bushbuckridge, was visiting relatives in Naas, near Malelane, where his girlfriend also lives.

The police said it was established from SMSes stored on his cellphone that his girlfriend had ended the relationship.

Nyambi said the man had tried to hang himself at his former girlfriend's home, but had been prevented from doing so.

"He then went to his relatives' home, where he tried [to hang himself with] a radio cord, but it broke. He then found some wire, which he hanged himself with," said Nyambi.